Enhanced light rail feeding a central HSR terminal for HSR running from LA to Las Vegas (300 miles) would be perfect for a start. The Las Vegas end could be toward the edge of the city and connected to the Strip by a monorail spur.
If cargo was accommodated in the train and station designs one could only imagine the number of trucks hauling everything from packages to fresh food that would be eliminated from the highways. The cargo alone could subsidize at least 10 trains a day.
If properly linked, regional rail, like Caltrain, could be modified to haul cargo to and from the HSR station. Even once a day in each direction would be a financial boost for the regional rail and make the HSR cargo more advantageous for a larger area.
Links from the ports of Las Angeles and Long Beach could speed cargo to and from Las Vegas and beyond.
The latest designs for HSR in Europe are designed to better handle cargo. With a design that is a throwback to the design of the NYC subway system, the newest HSR in Europe has a higher passenger capacity compared to any other HSR design in operation or planned.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5164ecce-6827-11df-a52f-00144feab49a.html#axzz20RGgqCJRSuch a project would lay the foundation for HSR across the area with the most to gain. The American Southwest with its hundreds of miles of nowhere to cross.
